With this quote by an unknown author, mag. Drago Šulek, president of the DanceSport Federation of Slovenia, took many participants for a trip down memory lane at the ceremony on the occasion of the federation's 60th anniversary, after the President of Slovenia Borut Pahor conferred a state decoration on this umbrella dance sport organisation. And who could have done this better than Slovenian dancers, currently among the best in the world in all three disciplines, ballroom and Latin dance, rock 'n' roll and modern dance?
In Grand Hotel Union's large hall, the following dancers earned our admiration: Luca Bussoletti and Tjaša Vulič, Miha Vodičar and Nadiya Bychkova, Bolero's adult show dance formation "Birth – miracle of life", Klemen Pirman and Barbara Šamperl, rock 'n' roll formation Briljantina Teens, Tina Rabič and Franc Pevc and adult R'n'R formation, show dance small group of the Kazina Dance Club with the winning number "Fly me to the moon", electric boogie dancers Andraž Mrak and Dejan Djurovič from the Miki Domžale Dance Club and SoFly, this year's best hip-hop formation in the world from ŠKDPS Novo Mesto. A true spectacle was also the demonstration of figure 1 and 3 of the Jenko quadrille with the performance of Mihael Verbič, doyen of the Ljubljana Dance Club and the DanceSport Federation of Slovenia, who was a student and friend of the dance maestro Adolf Jenko. The event's host was Domen Valič assisted by 9-year-old Lana Klemen, show dance world champion in the solo female category.
The Slovene Professional Dance Organization also celebrated the 60th anniversary, where some of the best Slovenian dancers in the world could be admired as well.
Origins before World War II
"The great story and all small stories included in it along our 60-year path were and still are written by thousands of former and today's dancers and their parents, dance teachers, coaches and officials. These stories were written in dozens of dance schools, associations and clubs that could not survive a period this long and are still being written in 82 members composing the DanceSport Federation of Slovenia today," said its president Drago Šulek on the occasion of the jubilee.
In Slovenia, the origins of competitive dance go back to the period before World War II when competitors were trained by individual dance teachers, while the conditions for regular and organised operation and pursuit of same goals were created with the foundation of the DanceSport Federation of Slovenia on 13 November 1954. A few days later, a decision was also granted to the Association of Dance Teachers of the People's Republic of Slovenia by the then authorities. First years after the foundation were not easy, as competitors in tailcoats looked like supporters or followers of the bourgeoisie which had been abolished during the war. This is why the number of competitors was very small for a long time and most of them competed in ballroom dancing. At first, the federation was comprised of only four associations. Their number is twenty times larger today and the dancers also did an excellent job at international competitions bringing numerous awards and medals from European and world championships in the solo, duo or group categories. "Dance is a universal means of communication and a natural response to music and rhythm," emphasised Šulek.
The event was attended by numerous representatives of more than 80 dance clubs and associations operating under the DanceSport Federation of Slovenia. Carlos Freitag, president of the World DanceSport Federation, Michael Wendt, president of the International Dance Organisation, presidents of national dance sport federations from neighbouring countries Austria, Croatia and Italy, Heidi Götz, director of communications and member of the WDSF presidency, and Slovenians Mirjam Kerpan Izak, president of the World Rock'n'Roll Confederation and member of the WDSF presidency, Fiona Johnson Kocjančič, vice president and sports and competition director of the International Dance Organisation, and Verena Trofenik Šulek, director of the Professional Division and member of the WDSF presidency, also attended the ceremony and expressed their thanks, which proves that Slovenian dancers, coaches and choreographers are successful at an international level. Miroslav Cerar, Olympic champion and icon of Slovenian sport, also participated in the event, while Janez Kocijančič, president of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, presented the DanceSport Federation of Slovenia with the award of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Association of Sports Federations on this occasion.
Vesna Žarkovič, SINFO
